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Crimson Scars
The Crimson Scars was a powerful vampiric organization that existed during the Third and Fourth Eras. It was created and led by Greywyn Blenwyth Tamriel's most powerful vampire assassin. The Scars were originally founded in order to destroy the Dark Brotherhood and then to replace it as the foremost assassins guild in Tamriel. The Scars were ambushed by the Dark Brotherhood who had gotten word of the rebellion, and were dispersed. The remaining Scars fled with Greywyn and secluded themselves in Blackwood and the town of Weye and would not be heard from again until the chaos created by Mathieu Bellamont within the Dark Brotherhood was at an end and the Dark Brotherhood was near the brink of ruin, during which time the Resurector took advantage of the Brotherhood's weakness and reorganized the Scars and rebuilt their base at Deepscorn Hollow. He then proceeded to restablish the Scars former power and reputation at the expense of the Dark Brotherhood. History Creation and Fall Several years after contracting vampirism, Greywyn started to recieve visions from Sithis. He though this was Sithis telling him to claim the Dark Brotherhood for the vampires and the vampires alone. He secured the help of many of his kin, fellow vampires, and had them spread throughout the ranks of the Dark Brotherhood. Several months later, one of the members of the Crimson Scars, but loyal to the Dark Brotherhood, Silarian, made known the members of the Crimson Scars and their plans, to the Black Hand. The Brotherhood struck as they slept, not even giving the Scars a chance to fight back. Using their silver weapons, the Brotherhood managed to pierce the hearts of many of Greywyn's kin . They screamed as they fell, turned into dust. Greywyn himself was able to kill two members of the Brotherhood before being forced to flee. Greywyn secretly retreated to Deepscorn Hollow, his old retreat and home when he was younger. After nearly a month none of his kin had returned to the fold. Greywyn was also disturbed because since the fateful night of the ambush, Sithis had not sent him any more visions. While waiting for more of his kin to arrive, he hunted and killed more members of the Brotherhood, spilling their blood on the Deepscorn Hollow Shrine's altar to Sithis. Several days later, Greywyn found Rowley Eardwulf, a fellow member of the Crimson Scars, at the Wawnet Inn. Deepscorn Hollow was by then fit to be the new base of the Crimson Scars. Rowley went about his dark work acquiring new furniture, resources, and contracts for the seemingly resurgent Scars. At this time Greywyn recieved a vision that disturbed him. It convinced him that Sithis did not want the Dark Brotherhood to be claimed by vampires. Seeing this, Greywyn found the Purgeblood Salts, and attempted to cleanse himself and the remaining members of the Scars of vampirism. It worked, but agents of the Dark Brotherhood found the Hollow and murdered Greywyn and the few Scars who had returned, sending them to join Sithis in the Void. Resurgence For the rest of the Third Era the Crimson Scars were destroyed and Deepscorn Hollow remained abandoned. A survivor of the Scars took a note from Greywyn and delivered it to Greywyn's last living relative, the Resurector. The Resurector drew vampires to him, and the Crimson Scars were rebuilt. It was not until the Fourth Era that the Scars truly became known again. Using his agent Rowley Eardwulf, the Resurector rebuilt Deepscorn Hollow and christened it the headquarters of the reborn Crimson Scars. The events surrounding the resurgence are confusing, namely because of the Oblivion Crisis, but the Crimson Scars took advantage of chaos and disorder within the Dark Brotherhood to establish itself as the premier assassins' guild in Tamriel. With the Dark Brotherhood under a strong and powerful leader, it is likely that there was a conflict between the two guilds after the chaos. Recruitment When there are rumors of a vampire or vampires, the Crimson Scars dispatch an agent to the person or the clan in question and invite them to join the Scars. If the offer is accepted the new members must prove their loyalty by performing a certain task, much like the Dark Brotherhood's initiation mission. Additionally, the Crimson Scars has been known to recruit through proxy. When there are rumors of a vampire or vampires, the Scars instigate an investigation. Usually, once the Crimson Scars locate the vampire or vampires location they dispatch a courier with a letter requesting the murder of a specific person. Once this murder has been carried out, another letter is dispatched requesting the secret murder, which is untraceable, of another specific person. If this is accomplished to satisfaction, the Scars dispatch a third courier to provide contact information. Structure The Five Tenets A member of the Crimson Scars must follow five rules known as the Five Tenets. It is unknown how the Scars deal with traitors who break the rules, but like most of their practices and rules it is probably similar to the Dark Brotherhood's method. The Crimson Scar five tenets are similar to the Dark Brotherhood's but with minor differences. # Never dishonour Sithis. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis. # Never betray the Crimson Scars or its secrets. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis. # Never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a Crimson Scar superior. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis. # Never steal the possession of a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis. # Never kill a Dark Brother or Sister. To do so is to invoke the wrath of Sithis. Sithis These are the Crimson Scar beliefs on Sithis, as recorded in the book "Sithis". Sithis is the start of the house. Before him was nothing, but the foolish Altmer have names for and revere this nothing. That is because they are lazy slaves. Indeed, from the Sermons, 'stasis asks merely for itself, which is nothing.' Sithis sundered the nothing and mutated the parts, fashioning from them a myriad of possibilities. These ideas ebbed and flowed and faded away and this is how it should have been. One idea, however, became jealous and did not want to die, like the stasis, he wanted to last. This was the demon Anui-El, who made friends, and they called themselves the Aedra. They enslaved everything that Sithis had made and created realms of everlasting imperfection. Thus are the Aedra the false gods, that is, Illusion. So Sithis begat Lorkhan and sent him to destroy the universe. Lorkhan! Unstable mutant! Lorkhan had found the Aedric weakness. While each rebel was, by their nature, immeasurable, they were, through jealously and vanity, also seperate from each other. They were also unwilling to go back to the nothing of before. So while they ruled their false dominions, Lorkhan filled the void with a myriad of new ideas. These ideas were legion. Soon it seemed that Lorkhan had a dominion of his own, with slaves and everlasting imperfections, and he seemd for all the world, like an Aedra. Thus did he present himself as such to the demon Anui-El and the Eight Givers, as a friend. Ranks within the Scars The only known rank within the Scars is: Dark Minion The Dark Minion is the lowest ranked member of the Crimson Scars. Superiors speak directly to the Minions and give them contracts, payment, and bonuses. Dark Minions must perfrom the task given to them or die trying. Bases Deepscorn Hollow Deepscorn Hollow is the main base of the Crimson Scars, and is located in a cave. It has two entrances and consists of four sections. Hollow The main entrance leads to the first section known as Deepscorn Hollow and is made up of three rooms. The middle room serves as a garden, which includes the deadly chokeberry vines of Morrowind. The room to the east of the entrance contains the Dark Minion's Victim Loot Chest. The room also houses the Dark Minion when he is not out fulfilling a contract. When he returns from his contract he will deposit the loot of the victims in the chest. The last room, to the west of the entrance, contains chests, crates, and barrels for storage. There is also a poison supply chest in the storage room. It contains a few weak poisons and many strong poisons. Cloister The second section of Deepscorn Hollow contains three rooms once again, as well as the secondary entrance to Deepscorn Hollow. The first room is less of a room and more of an antechamber but contains two shelves and two benches. The second room to the south is the Font of Renewal, containg an obelisk in the middle beset by water, and in the northeast corner of the room several veins of Purgeblood Salts. The last room, to the west, is a small cave structure that serves as the cattle cell. Bastion The Bastion consists of a library, bedroom, and dining room. The library houses over a dozen books, including three or four skill books. The bedroom contains a coffin, for sleeping in, a jewelry box, a desk, and a shelf. The desk has a respawning sprig of nirnroot. The Armorie is located in the bedroom as well. Shrine The pinnacle of Deepscorn Hollow, the last section contains only the Shrine of Sithis. The shrine is activated by filling the basin at the base of the shrine with the Ichor of Sithis. Those whose nature is dark and infamous can pray at the shrine and be blessed by Sithis. Known Members Appearances